America’s Best Racing’s ninth season of “Big-Race Showdown” came right down to the wire like any great horse race.

Roberto Rodriguez led all experts by winners.

A panel of 10 experts made their top-three selections for key stakes races beginning with a trio of Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve prep races on March 1 through the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

The players’ picks were posted in a regular ABR feature throughout the year and a running tab/bankroll was kept to track their success. In addition to picking winners for each of the 54 contest races, players amassed exacta and trifecta earnings on the basis of $2 exacta and $2 trifecta box bets of each player’s top three selections.

Roberto Rodriguez led all experts with 21 winners (39%) from 54 contest races, including correctly selecting Sovereignty to win the 2025 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

Parx Racing racecaller Jessica Paquette finished second with 20 winners (37%) from 54 races, and she was the leading expert by exacta earnings with $780.02. Paquette correctly identified the top-two finishers among her top three selections 22 times for a sparkling 41% strike rate, and she was more than $140 ahead of her closest competitor. Paquette’s total was boosted by a $184.20 exacta in the Bing Crosby Stakes, won by 16.60-1 longshot Lovesick Blues.

Mike Somich ranked second by exacta earnings with $639.14, while Alexa Zepp was close behind in third with $635.44.

Ashley Mailloux led the experts by trifecta earnings.

Ashley Mailloux was the leader among the expert panel by trifecta earnings with $466.64. Mailloux banked $203 in trifecta earnings in the bet365 Summer Stakes Sept. 13 at Woodbine, a race won by fifth betting choice Argos in the 10-horse field.

Zepp finished second in trifecta earnings with $295.68.

The panel of experts for Big-Race Showdown in 2025 featured Edison Hatter (In The Money Media Podcast Host & Track Announcer), Thomas Kearney (Track Announcer, Shenandoah Downs), Mailloux (freelance racing analyst), Paquette (Racecaller for Parx Racing, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation), John Piassek (Assistant Racing Secretary, Yonkers Raceway), Rodriguez (El Potro Roberto, DRF en Espanol), Somich (VSiN Host; The Magic Mike Show – The Racing Dudes), Darwin Vizcaya (Handicapper and Host), Rowan Ward (Chartcaller at Hawthorne Race Track and a Freelance writer), and Zepp (Handicapper, America's Best Racing). 

Big-Race Showdown will return in 2026 for another great season with expect selections for dozens of marquee races throughout the year, including the Triple Crown races and three World Championship races at the Breeders’ Cup. Stay tuned!